There has been no shortage of viral cat videos. Some cats have even become famous like Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub. Aside from being one of the internet’s most well known pastimes, the new research shows that watching cute and funny cat videos not only boosts your energy and positive emotions, it also decreases your negative emotions.

The studyMyrick’s research was based on a survey she explains, “We all have watched a cat video online, but there is really little empirical work done on why so many of us do this, or what effects it might have on us. As a media researcher and online cat video viewer, I felt compelled to gather some data about this pop culture phenomenon1."

The study surveyed about 7,000 people on the topic of cat videos and how the videos affected their moods. While only 36% of the participants said they were “cat people,” 60% said they were fans of both cats and dogs.

The resultsPeople said they felt more energetic and more positive after watching cat-related media than before. They also said it decreased negative emotions, such as anxiety, sadness and annoyance. The happiness they felt from watching the videos surpassed any guilt they felt about wasting time.

“Even if they are watching the cat videos on YouTube to procrastinate or while they should be working, the emotional pay-off may actually help people to take on tough tasks afterward,” said Myrick1.

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